By 1News.co.nz. Republished with permission.
An Auckland medical centre had its front entrance smashed overnight, after holding a successful Covid-19 vaccination event on Saturday.
A person turning up for their second jab at Pasefika Family Health Group in Panmure discovered the damage this morning along with practice administrator Moe Palu.
Palu said there was a large rock by the front door, and all the vaccination signs had been pulled down.
“I was shocked, shocked and sad at the same time, because I can’t believe how people can go this extreme,” she told 1News.
“We are trying to do our work to protect our our community, our families, everyone in New Zealand.”
It left her scared for her and other staff members’ safety, as well as those coming to the centre.
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Ward Councillor Josephine Bartley said people were free to believe what they wanted, but it was unacceptable for this kind of vandalism to be carried out.
She said there was a lot of misinformation and fear in the community, and emotions were high.
“I don’t want to see any retaliation, everyone’s emotions are heightened because we are in a scary time. I think we just carrying on as a community as we are doing, and not let this get any more violent.”
Bartley said she, and providers, had received anti-vaccination messages and abuse.
“We have people in our community who want to help with vaccination, but they feel threatened as well.”
There were 13,000 jabs given across Auckland’s three district health boards on Saturday, including 1300 first doses in Counties Manukau, only only one shy of the 90 per cent target.
There were 143 new Covid infections reported in the community around NZ today.
Earlier in the outbreak Pasifika made up over 70 per cent of Covid-19 infections, but that figure is now below 40 per cent due to increasing vaccination rates.